Blog Posts

Our Values & The Game of Golf

I never understood how many companies keep their values internal. It is my belief that our values are to be shared openly with our many partners and members as we will bring the highest benefit to those that resonate with the values we bring to those that we serve.

Thank you for considering our values when looking for us to partner with you.

We operate on an exclusive basis and if you have any questions or would like to be considered for membership/partnership, please contact us here.

Jeffery Eschak CPA, CMA

Our One Core Value:

The Growth Imperative

The Growth Imperative is the conscious decision as it relates towards growth whether to grow or to decline.

We see only two directions in business, personally and professionally. Our beliefs are strongly rooted in making decisions with the intention to reach the objectives of the owner or stakeholder group so that unity and clarity can be achieved by the business.

The first direction is growth. This is the mindset and direction of intentional positive action towards reaching a greater future desirable state. Can be known as improving, increasing, developing, progressing, advancing, evolving. It is the direction associated with leading change. Strategic Growth is the decision to focus on a smaller list of objectives to achieve growth. Growth can have many meanings to many people so clarity is needed to ensure alignment of direction is consistent. Although Growth is usually seen as a positive, it can have negative implications for some people that would rather see another direction taken. Growth is not always in top-line revenues, it can be measured in customer service, employee engagement, increased profitability, or even a better work-life balance for the owner and/or management.

The second direction is decline. This is a conscious choice to take or not take action that decreases a future state into one that has less but is still the desirable state. Can be known as weakening, lessening, exiting, falling, dropping, downgrading, deteriorating, backsliding. Although many feel that a decline is negative, there can be many reasons that support a decision of decline as a positive one. Strategic Decline is the decision to divest in one direction and transfer that now found capacity towards a strategic growth initiative. Decline when coupled with a growth directive is a healthy and strategic although usually a very difficult decision to make and implement.

Fundamentally as a business we believe that The Growth Imperative decisions are made each day and it is those choices made with intention and an awareness to the growth imperative that ultimately create a future that is more desirable for the stakeholders of that business. We believe that in an ever-changing world, in order to compete we need to be challenging the status quo and pressing for growth at all three levels: personal, professional and business;

What about Status Quo?

We believe that Status Quo doesn’t really exist. What we see often in a state of status quo is that we “think” we are holding our position but are usually actually in decline unconsciously. The problem with operating with a status quo mindset is that it assumes everything is in a static state however the world is very dynamic. The world continues to move and change. Competitors are shifting strategies, customers are changing expectations. Suppliers, employees, governments are all changing and as such one is actually losing ground. It is this unconscious loss of ground that we want to avoid when we face a status quo decision. We see a conscious choice to stick to status quo is really a conscious choice of decline.

We understand that status quo would be highly desirable for many but we believe that maintaining a market position, a revenue level or a profitability level really requires growth. The growth of individuals or processes, the growth of software or systems, the growth of products or services that equate to the pace of the world around us.

Which is why we see The Growth Imperative as the conscious decision as it relates towards growth.

Our Golf Inspired Supporting Values:

Golf teaches many lessons that extend beyond the game itself. The following are some golf inspired values that support our one core value: The Growth Imperative. These values extend to our practice of being a professional at what we do here at BlueOnyx.ca:

Backswing Mechanics (Knowledge & Practice)

We focus on what needs to be done rather than what has been done or what is being done right now. It takes a great amount of humility to have the awareness and knowledge of ones current state to be able to set the stage and prepare for where one needs to be. It is our belief and focus to improve through insightful knowledge and practice that makes us a Backswing Mechanics Expert.

Leverage the Sweet Spot (Strengths Zone)

Relentless focus on being in and having others around us in their sweet spot. Everyone comes with personal strengths and weaknesses and it is the time spent in the strengths zone that we add the most value to ourselves and to those that we serve. Being resourceful and leaning on others strengths will ultimately help us stay in the sweet spot and in-turn bring value to those others that we are partnered with.

The “Real” Approach (Humility & Transparent)

Be real with what we are faced with, with ourselves and with those around us and look to work with others that are focused on being real. The “Real” Approach also ensures we are focused on the next move and what strategy will get us all moving towards the aligned result. We view the “Real” Approach as ensuring that all the stakeholders are aware of and can be engaged in the solution.

Recovery Addict (Adaptable & Resilience)

We not only are but we will help others be addicted to recovery. It is with our continued focus to growth that we will be able to find the best recovery whether it was in the long grass or stuck behind some trees and requires a full recovery. No plan goes perfectly and we need to be great at figuring out the next shot and deal with the many different levels of recovery.

The Save (Results matter)

It is ensuring that our focus to getting the best result aligns with our original objectives and not getting distracted from these results. Tenacity on its own is good however it needs to be paired with a drive of urgency to accomplish getting the objectives completed in The Save.